Boiler-feed regulator.



(No Model.)

WITNESSES:

aMwm/ Pa'tented Nov. 27, I900. J. w. coPEs.

BOILER FEED REGULATOR.

(Appiication filed Sept. 9, 1899.]

2 Shoots-Sheet 2.

afzz gif UNITED STATES ET FMUE JAMES W. OOPES, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

BOILER-FEED REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,687, dated November2'7, 1900.

Application filed September 9. 1899. serial No. 730,086. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. OOPES, of Philadelphia, in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvem cuts inBoiler-Feed Regulators,\vhe1'eof the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that class of devices wherein an expansible tubeis connected with a boiler above and below the water-line of the latter,so that the difference in temperature between the contained steam andwater may be utilized in the expansion and contraction of said tube.

It is the object of my invention to provide simple and efficient meansfor automatically regulating the flow of water to a boiler pro videdwith an expansible tube, as aforesaid; and to this end my inventioncomprises devices in cooperative relation with said tube whereby theoperation of the boiler-feed pump may be adjustably predetermined Withprecision.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a boiler,showing a convenient embodiment of my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2is a vertical sectional View of the steam-throttle valve of theboiler-feed pump and the automaticallyoperated governor of said valve.Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a plan View and side elevation of thejoint between the expansible tube and the valveoperating lever connectedtherewith.

In said figures, A is a boiler provided with the feed-water pump B. Thenormal waterline of said boiler is indicated at a, and the expansibletube 0 is connected with the boiler at 0 below said water-line and at 0above said water-line, so as to contain water in its lower portion andsteam in its upper portion in proportions determined by the level of thewater in the boiler. The extremity G of said tube is fixed in thestandard A upon said boiler, but the opposite free extremity O ispivotally connected with the bell-crank lever D below the fulcrum d, asshown in detail in Figs 3 and 4:- Said lever is mounted to oscillate inthe flexible standard A fixed at its foot upon the boiler. The rod E isfixed at one end in the standard A and its opposite end extends throughthe cylindrical bearingblock 6, which is mounted for oscillation in arecess in the side of the standard A" Said rod E is threaded andprovided with a nut 6 beyond the bearing 6, and said standard issufiieiently flexible to permit of the micrometer adjustment of therelation of the parts by shifting said nut longitudinally with respectto said rod, the shape of the block 0 permitting the change in theangular relation of the parts. Said lever D is connected by the link (1with the arm f of the toggle-lever, whose other arm f is pivotallyconnected by the member f with the cross-headf, to which is fixed thestem f of the. check-valve F.

Said valve serves to control the flow of thefeed-water in the pipe Gfrom the pump B to the boiler A.

The lever-arm fis provided with the weight F, which is adjustably fixedthereon to balance or partially balance the pressure within the pipe G,and thus relieve the expansible tube G from unnecessary strain.

The arrangement of the parts just described is such that they normallyoccupy the position shown in Fig. 1, wherein said valve F is closed.However, it is to be understood that upon the fall of the water withinthe boiler to a point below the normal line a the increased extent ofthe tube 0 exposed to the temperature of the steam causes said tube toexpand and uplift the lever D, link d, and lever-arm f, therebythrusting the lever-armf and link f out of alinement, raising thecross-head f and stem f of the valve F and opening the latter.

B is the steam-supply pipe leading from the main steam-pipe A of theboiler A to the pump B, and B is the exhaust-pipe leading from saidpump. In said supply-pipe B is a throttle-valve H, the stem h of which.is coupled with the stem 1' of the governor-piston I, arranged toreciprocate within the governorcylinder I. Above said piston thecylinder I is connected by the pipe 9 with the feedwater pipe G, andbelow said piston said cylinder is connected by the pipe I) with thesteam-supply pipe B.

The frame H connects the casing of the valve H with thegovernor-cylinder I. The

lever H which is pivotally connected with the coupling-piece h, ismounted to oscillate upon the fulcrum h in said frame and is pr0- vid edwith a weight I1 which may be adjustably fixed thereon. Said weight isso ad- .justed as to overbalance the Weight of the moving parts of saidvalve and governor and serves to open said valve H whenever the piston Iis relieved from the excess of pressure above it in the cylinder I".However, undernormal conditions the water-pressure in said cylinder 1above said piston l is such as to maintain the parts in the positionshown in Fig. 2, with the ports 7% of the valve H closed by thevalve-plunger H thus preventing passage of the steam through the pipe Bto the steam-chest of the pump B.

The operation of the device is as follows: The temperature of the steamin the upper portion of the expansible tube 0 is higher than that of thewater in the lower portion of said tube, and therefore when the waterfalls in the boiler below the normal level a to which the parts havebeen calibrated, as aforesaid, the increased area of the tube 0 exposedto the temperature of the steam causes said tube to further expand anduplift the lever D and by means of the link cl to uplift the lever-armfand shift the leverarm f and link f thus raising the crosshead f andstem f of the valve F and opening the latter. The pipes G and g belowthe valve F being thus placed in communication with the boiler, thewater-pressure in the governor-cylinder 1' above the piston I isequalized by the steam-pressure from the pipe 1) below said'pistonhead,permitting the Weight H to shift the plunger H thus opening thesteam-ports if and permitting the steam to flow through the pipe B toactuate the pump B. The pump B, being brought into operation, as abovedescribed, continues to take water through the pipe G and deliver itthrough the pipe G to the boiler A until the water reaches the normallevel a therein, Whereupon the area of the tube 0 exposed to the actionof the steam being reduced to the normal limit said tube contracts toits normal length and closes the valve F. After the closure of the valveF the pump B continues to operate until the water-pressure in the pipesG and g and in the upper portion of the governor-cylinder I is such asto lower the piston I and valve-plunger H against the steam-pressure inthe lower portion of said cylinder I, supplemented by the weight H thusclosing the ports h of the throttle-valve H and stopping the pump.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to provide an expansible tube forthe purpose tions may be made therein without departing from the spiritof my invention.

I claim- 1. In a boiler-feed regulator, the combination with anexpansible tube, connected with the boiler above and below the normalwaterlevel therein, of a fixed support for one end of said tube, a leverconnected with the free end of said tube, a valve in operative relationwith said lever, an adjustable support for the fulcrum of said lever,and means to adjustably shift the fulcrum of said lever by flexu re ofsaid support, substantially as set forth.

2. In a boiler-feed regulator, the combination with an eXpansible tube,connected with the boiler above and below the normal waterlevel therein,of a feed-water pipe for said boiler, a valve in said water-pipe,toggle-levers arranged to operate said valve, and means operativelyconnecting said expansible tube and said toggle-levers, substantially asset forth.

3. In a boiler-feed regulator, the combination with an expansible tubeconnected with the boiler above and below the normal waterlevel therein,of a feed-water pipe for said boiler, a valve in said water-pipe, areciprocatory cross-head, fixed to the stem of said valve, toggle-leversarranged to reciprocate said cross-head, and means operativelyconnecting said expansible tube, and said togglelevers, substantially asset forth.

4. In a boiler-feed regulator, the combination with an expansible tube,connected with the boiler above and below the normal waterlevel therein,of a fixed support A for one extremity of said tube, a pivotalconnection for the opposite extremity of said tube,a valve in operativerelation with said pivotal connection, a fixed tension-rod E, a flexiblestandard A a bearing 6, in said standard through which said rod E, isentered, and a nut e, on said rod arranged to adjustably determine therelation of said standard A and the pivoted extremity of said tube,substantially as set forth.

5. In a boiler-feed regulator, the combination with an expansible tube,connected with the boiler above and below the normal waterlevel therein,of a feed-Water pipe for said boiler, a valve in said water-pipe, atogglelever connected at one extremity with the stern of said valve, aweight, adjustable upon the other extremity of said toggle-lever, andmeans operatively connecting said expansible tube and said toggle-lever,substantially as set forth.

6. In a boiler-feed regulator, the combination with an expansible tube,connected with the boiler above and below the normal waterlevel therein,of a feed-water pump, a feedwater pipe from said pump to said boiler, avalve in said water-pipe, a steam-pipe from said boiler to said pump, avalve in said steam-pipe, and hydraulic means connecting the valve insaid water-pipe with the valve in said steam-pipe, in such relationplunger, a piston operatively connected in axial alinement with saidplunger, a cylinder containing said piston intermediate of its length, apipe connection between one end of said cylinder and said water-pipe, apipe connection between the other end of said cylinder and saidsteam-supply pipe, and means operatively connecting said expansible tubewith the valve in said water-pipe; arranged to operate said two valvesin predetermined relation, substantially as set forth.

JAMES W. OOPES.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. CHASE, JOHN 0. 000m.

